19 mind-blowing Montreal shows this week

Montreal’s most fun music fest — POP Montreal — gets started on Wednesday, and this year features some real jewels that will make this five-day event so worthwhile. See my day one picks below and keep an eye here next week for my big picks of POP.

Making things even more jammed this fall is a four-night stint by one of Montreal’s most important bands, the Varning From Montreal festival and the first Turbo Haus fest. Phew! Here’s the gigs you need to know about before you get popped.

Thursday: There is a benefit for those protesting the Dakota Access pipeline at la Vitrola with a whole mess o’ bands including Faze, Ultrarat, Endform, Hellenica, Lowebrau, the now seasoned vets Butcher Baby, Mental Fix and Ursula. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5-$20 PWYC

Friday: The fine trio behind Analogue Addiction is presenting a killer show at la Vitrola with Montreal’s Void Republic, Copenhagen’s the Foreign Resort and Dallas’s Nite. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $8

Fans of garage and twang will want to make it down to Théâtre Fairmount to catch Okkervil River with Rob Moir. 5240 Parc, 8 p.m., $20/$23

Saturday: Skull Central celebrates its first year anniversary of providing you with decks, books and records as well as being a local label with Audio Visceral and Dead Messenger. 4302 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., price unlisted

Psychonauts are to report for duty at le Ritz for Morgan Delt, Mass Gothic and Comet Control. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8:30 p.m., $10/$13

At one of the best bars in the city — Brasserie Beaubien — you can keep it real with Ray Dungeon, Beloveds, Snake Garden and Beige. 73 Beaubien E., p.m., $6.66/PWYC

All punkers are not going to want to miss London’s Anasazi with Dame, Oppression and Security at Sala. 4848 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $10

Sunday: Local king of the double bass Eddy Blake is at Quai des Brumes for a listening party, premiering his new album. 4481 St-Denis, 5-8 p.m., pass-the-hat (suggested donation $10 or more)

For a night of heaviosity you can make tracks to Turbo Haus to catch Eyelet, Skin, False Lives and Loess. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 8 p.m., $8/PWYC

One of the big gigs of the week is Explosions in the Sky, who will pack up Metropolis with Julianna Barwick. This should be a major nerd alert. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $27/$30

Monday: Certainly the backpacked and bespectacled that squeezed into Metropolis will want to keep their post rock rollin’ when local legends godspeed! you black emperor begin their four-night reign at Théâtre Paradoxe, with different openers every night. (Note that the first three shows are sold out but there are still tickets available for the fourth show on Thursday, Sept. 22, when the opener will be Jason Sharp. 5959 Monk, 8:30 p.m., $18/$20)

Tuesday: The Deadly Mardi DIY shows series continues with one of their best shows yet the Hick-ups featuring local hero and all-around nice guy Bloodshot Bill. Rockette (4479 St-Denis), 10 p.m., $5/PWYC

Wednesday: Well, POP Montreal starts off strong again this year. You can start things off by seeing one of power pop’s true geniuses at work when Wreckless Eric goes around the whole wide world with the adoring support of DFA 1979’s Sebastien Grainger, Vikki Gilmore and local power pop prince Dany Laj at Divan Orange. 4234 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $15

Sound Central has cooked up a show with Jack Moves, Whitelock and Cable Bank. 4486 Coloniale, 5-7 p.m., price unlisted

Jerusalem in My Heart get their freak on at the MAC with the hardest working woman in showbiz, Jessica Moss, and Animisme opening up. 185 Ste-Catherine W., 8 p.m., $20

Two Candian punk legends join forces at Petit Campus: SNFU headline over Calgary pop punkers Chixdiggit as well as Boids. 57 Prince-Arthur E., 8 p.m., $20/$25

The Kills bring their hep grind to Metropolis with L.A. Witch. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $32/$37

Against Me! are sure to sell out Club Soda (if it isn’t already) with Potty Mouth and Frame Works. 1225 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $28.50/$30, all ages

Finally, indie psych peeps can make it down to la Tulipe to catch Allah-Las with Tops and Corridor. 4530 Papineau, 8 p.m., $24/$28

Current Obsession: SPK, Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com